Chapter 370

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Chai Mi

Not to mention anything else, Second Great-Uncle is actually quite witty. He tells his own sorrows as jokes, and that's pretty good.

And he's quite likable too.

Second Great-Uncle continued, "Later my waist broke again... so I researched at home on my own, how could I make my waist get better?" Second Great-Uncle continued.

Hearing him say this, Chai Mi immediately asked curiously, "So Second Great-Uncle, you became a doctor through long illness, self-taught, and researched it out?"

"No..." Second Great-Uncle answered very honestly.

Chai Mi: "Uh..."

Meng Shi frowned, speechless.

Song Qingshan was also extremely surprised: after all that fuss, it turned out to be completely useless.

"Second Great-Uncle, your words make people uncomfortable. You say you researched for so long, but didn't research anything out, isn't that all for nothing?" Chai Mi frowned displeased, very dissatisfied with Second Great-Uncle's attitude of cracking jokes and being flippant.

Second Great-Uncle froze for a moment: "I didn't say I researched how to become self-taught either. I researched something else... I researched that this illness, it can't be cured. Because my bones were ruined, it can only be alleviated. Researching it this way, I knew the direction... afterwards, I went out wandering everywhere. I found an old Chinese doctor living in seclusion deep in the mountains, that person said to me: Tieshan ah, your research is correct."

Chai Mi was speechless to the extreme, said somewhat angrily: "Second Great-Uncle, just tell me, for this illness, who exactly cured you, who did you go to for treatment."

"It's just that on Lama Mountain there's an old lama, that lama knows acupuncture, afterwards using very thick, very thick needles, he pierced through that piece of necrotic flesh on my lower back, afterwards rebirth. Afterwards it got much better..."

Chai Mi froze: "You mean, bit by bit making the already necrotic flesh disappear, and what grows back anew is good."

"I don't understand this either, he said it was acupuncture. Afterwards the needles used were relatively thick... I needled for about three years, then it got better." Second Great-Uncle said: "He needled the acupuncture, afterwards used a very large jar, to cup and draw out from me. This way some necrotic tissue would be drawn out, the rest would slowly recover, slowly grow."

With Second Great-Uncle saying it like this, Chai Mi understood.

This is a very complex treatment process.

Meng Shi has lumbar muscle strain, it's the kind where if you're not careful, you might injure it. Or maybe nothing happens for many years.

It should be that the muscles and meridians in the lower back have problems.

Acupuncture should be effective.

Acupuncture plus cupping plus mugwort hot compress, maybe it's a good approach.

Moreover, according to what Second Great-Uncle said, anyway he's all better now, can run around everywhere, so something like what Meng Shi and Chai Youqing fell and got, should be even easier to treat.

Lama Mountain, actually not far, just seven or eight li of mountain road from Sanjiacun.

But Second Great-Uncle is somewhat unreliable after all, Chai Mi asked again: "Then the mugwort, which lama said it? Afterwards you did hot compress yourself?"

"I didn't do hot compress, I had no money to buy a mattress, afterwards got some mugwort, dried it in the sun, used it as a mattress..." Second Great-Uncle's old face reddened: "Don't mention it, sleeping on that sleeping is thief fragrant, waking up double spirited. Eating everything fragrant... body double strong. Chai Mi girl ah, you have a partner? Second Great-Uncle introduce you a partner..."

Chai Mi froze too: "Uh..."

Second Great-Uncle, you old man can't even afford a wife, yet you still have the nerve to ask me? No wonder Song Qiushui always says Second Great-Uncle's mind isn't quite right.

This old man, really fucking idle.

"Have one..."

"Male or female?" Second Great-Uncle asked persistently.

Meng Shi's face reddened completely, hurriedly said: "Second Uncle, Chai Mi has a partner, you mustn't randomly introduce. How can you ask like this, still asking if the partner is male or female, it's definitely male."

Song Qingshan also said: "Right, Second Uncle. Chai Mi's conditions are this good, you old man don't worry about her... worry about my Third Uncle and Fourth Uncle instead."

Second Great-Uncle froze: "That Tongshan and Lvshan are both sixty or seventy, definitely confirmed lifelong bachelors, I don't care about them at all. Look at this Chai Mi girl, how good, such a good young lady, must find a partner. If no partner, later will become like me, a solitary loner..."

"Second Great-Uncle, actually everyone is a solitary loner. Even surrounded by high-ranking guests, but ultimately when drinking, what enters the mouth is still wine, still one person drinking alone in loneliness. It won't change because of anyone's identity. People, are always lonely... you being lonely to old age is pretty good."

Second Great-Uncle seemed to have his worldview impacted, hurriedly retorted: "That's not right... when old you need a companion... or you'll be lonely..."

"My grandpa also had a companion, but because he beat my grandma, he went into the prison fence squatting and hasn't come out yet. My grandpa isn't as good as you, old now, six children, not one thinks well of him. When he was young, he was so domineering. Afterwards biased liking my Third Uncle, gave everything to my Third Uncle. Result, Third Uncle reported him, he went in. My grandma is the same, now also not as good as you, you at least go somewhere and someone welcomes you, she goes anywhere and no one welcomes her."

Chai Mi saying it like this, Second Great-Uncle was dumbfounded: "Then you mean, me being a bachelor is pretty good?"

"Of course. Otherwise let me explain some reasoning to you. Second Great-Uncle, you assume now you have an old companion, you say autumn harvest comes, don't you have to go strip corn..."

"Right..."

"Then isn't it possible your old companion becomes bedridden, you still have to serve her."

"Hiss..."

"What if your old companion hooks up improperly, not proper. Today likes this old man, runs off with this old man, doesn't stay with you. Tomorrow fancies that old man, makes a fuss about divorce with you, gets together with another old man, gives you a green hat. You speak, she gives you two big slaps, you don't speak she scolds you as useless trash, you eat she says you're a pig, you work she thinks you're nothing. Afterwards abuses you every day, torments you, also gives birth to a pile of kids for you, makes you go out earn money to support. Not supporting kills you, supporting you can't afford, afterwards kids still complain you this dad has no ability..."

Second Great-Uncle's face turned green, stuttered unable to speak: "Then I... I... I won't marry a wife."

"Don't. You might still marry a wife, wife gives birth to kids not yours. You worked a lifetime, reached the day you're gone, your old companion pulling another old man tells you: Meng Tieshan, you finally left, you've occupied this position for eighty-two years already. Afterwards your son isn't yours, daughter isn't yours either, afterwards they throw you on the mountain to starve half to death, release two wolves to bite you to death..."

Second Great-Uncle couldn't stay: "I still have matters, I must go home and check."

Speaking, Second Great-Uncle turned and wanted to leave...

Meng Shi hurriedly blocked, whatever she said also made Second Great-Uncle stay one night before leaving...

Chai Mi saw there wasn't much to say, so returned from Song Qiushui's house.

Just entered her own courtyard gate, saw Song Qiushui right squatting in front of the stove pit, puffing angrily stuffing firewood inside, firelight reflecting her face flickering bright and dark.

Turns out she had nothing to do, was helping Su Wan wash the Chinese cabbage prepared for dumpling filling with warm water.

Now the weather's a bit cool, using cold water Song Qiushui couldn't bear it a bit, so prepared to boil some warm water to use.

"How was it? Sent my that living treasure Second Great-Uncle away?" Song Qiushui asked.

Chai Mi spread her hands: "I don't have that ability, your Second Great-Uncle talks too much, I can't out-talk him."

"His mouth is the most stubborn!" Song Qiushui fiercely shoved a firewood stick into the stove, sparks "crackled" and burst once, "Laying spread-eagle on my family's kang! Snoring shaking the heavens, sharing a kang with my dad, my dad's face black as... my mom still said 'old people sleep little, let him sleep', I think he's a pig reincarnated! Chai Mi, you say is he doing it on purpose?"

Chai Mi shook water droplets off her hands, face expressionless: "On purpose or not, your family's kang has one more breather, can it eat your rice jar empty? At most costs a bit of firewood."

"That's not to that extent," Song Qiushui pouted, stood up, patted dust off her hands, "just disgusting! You didn't hear him bragging to my dad with that energy, like he was the Jade Emperor descended to earth when young. Most infuriating, still thinking of introducing a partner to me! Saying something about our Village East Old Liu family that fool son... Pah! That Liu Big Head, drooling that one? What was he thinking?"

"How does he think? He thinks you're good enough for him?" Chai Mi said indifferently, then turned and walked into the room.

"Chai Mi!" Song Qiushui stamped her foot in anger, "Stop right there! Who are you siding with? What do you mean?"

Chai Mi stopped, turned to look at her, her gaze calm: "What do I mean? I mean, why are you taking him seriously? He's an old bachelor, full of hot air, he says what he says, you just let it go in one ear and out the other, right? Your mother hasn't said anything, why are you jumping around here? With this time, you might as well think about something serious."

"Something serious? What serious thing?" Song Qiushui was stunned.

"Your mother's waist." Chai Mi pointed toward Song Qiushui's house, "Your great-uncle may be full of hot air, but that last method he mentioned—mugwort hot compress plus acupuncture and cupping—sounds... not like something made up. His waist was broken three times and he can still run all over the mountains; maybe he really has some skill."

Song Qiushui frowned: "You mean... that old lama at Lama Mountain? And mugwort? He said to sleep on mugwort as a mattress... sounds strange."

Song Qiushui naturally already knew about this, but she basically didn't believe it.

If it were someone else saying it, Song Qiushui could still believe a little, but what her great-uncle said, she didn't believe a single word.

These days, which traditional Chinese doctor isn't a liar?

What's so amazing about this, what's so amazing about that—isn't it just using some astragalus to boost resistance, then sneaking some painkiller powder into the medicine, and then claiming it's some divine medicine?

If it were really that amazing, why open a hospital? Just keep running the old Chinese doctor's small clinic.

"It's just bullshitting people. My great-uncle's waist is fine; that was mainly back when he was in the production brigade, pretending to be sick every day, slacking off, doing no work, just lying there, lying there until he recovered. You listen to his strange talk, why doesn't he say he does no work and just begs for food?"

"Strange or not, you'll know if you try." Chai Mi's tone was very practical, "Mugwort grows by the forest edge around here. It doesn't cost money; pick some, dry it, and give your mother a hot compress to try. It can't hurt. Maybe it'll work? Isn't that better than your mother gritting her teeth in pain every day?"

Song Qiushui's eyes lit up, then she hesitated again: "But that Lama Mountain..."

"Forget about Lama Mountain for now." Chai Mi interrupted her, "Not to mention the long road, whether the lama does acupuncture or treats people is still uncertain. Do what can be done right now. Come with me to the big forest on the west side for a bit; I remember there's a lot of mugwort there, and it shouldn't be completely withered yet."

"Okay!" Song Qiushui agreed immediately; since it concerned her mother's waist, she wasn't vague at all, "When? I'll go with you! Pick more!"

"Let's go early." Chai Mi looked up at the sky, "While the weather is still good, we'll go in a bit."

Afterwards, Chai Mi tidied up a bit and told her mother to help prepare the dumpling filling.

Then she and Song Qiushui each carried a large willow basket, holding sickles in their hands, walking with uneven steps toward the big forest at the west end of the village.

Song Qiushui complained as she walked, using the sickle in her hand to push aside the thorny vines blocking the road, "Chai Mi, you say what does mugwort look like? Don't end up cutting a basket of stinky wormwood and making my mother faint from the smell."

"Nonsense, how could I not know it?" Chai Mi walked in front, her steps steady, her eyes sharply scanning the wasteland by the forest edge, "Mugwort leaves are grayish-white on the back, and when crushed they have a strong smell, that kind of... medicinal fragrance. Stinky wormwood smells different, and its leaves are finer. I'll teach you to recognize it later."

The two walked to a sunny slope at the edge of the forest. Here weeds grew thickly, mixed with some low shrubs. Chai Mi stopped and pointed to a plant not far away, more than a person tall, with straight stems and deeply pinnately cleft leaves: "There, that's mugwort. Smell it and you'll know."

Song Qiushui plucked a tender leaf, crushed it with her fingers, held it under her nose and smelled it, "Wow! It's quite strong! Smelling it... seems really refreshing?"

"Whether it's refreshing or not, I don't know, but it's great at repelling insects." Chai Mi put down the basket, drew her sickle, "This patch looks okay, not too damaged by livestock. Cut the old ones, the tender ones have less effect. Cut close to the ground, be careful not to cut your hand." As she spoke, her hand rose and the knife fell, swish swish a few times, a bundle of mugwort was cut down and thrown into the basket.

"Got it!" Song Qiushui also got energetic, imitating Chai Mi and swinging her sickle to cut.

In a short while, both had sweat on their foreheads.

"Chai Mi," Song Qiushui wiped her sweat, looking at the mugwort increasing in the basket, "Do you think this thing really works? What my great-uncle said, eight out of ten sentences are nonsense... maybe his waist healed on its own after lying there for years?"

Chai Mi's hands didn't stop, cutting a large bundle of mugwort: "Whether it works or not, we have to try. Your mother's waist can't just be left to heal by lying there. Hot compress with this can at least activate blood circulation and warm that area, better than just watching. Besides," she paused, throwing the mugwort into the basket, "your great-uncle's waist was broken three times and he can still run; maybe this folk remedy really has some logic. Treat a dead horse as a living one."

"Ptoo ptoo ptoo! What dead horse living horse!" Song Qiushui spat, but in her heart she knew Chai Mi made sense, "Fine, then let's get more! Go back and dry it, spread a kang for my mother!"

She put more strength into her hands, the sickle whistling as it swung.

The two bent their heads and cut for nearly an hour, the two large willow baskets they brought were stuffed full, unable to hold more.

Chai Mi used the rope she brought to tie several large bundles, and had Song Qiushui hold them.